Although modern public entertainment facilities usually represent substantial capital investments, they are often empty much of the time. For example, at motion picture theatres, it is common to have idle periods between the conclusion of one screening and the start of the next screening. In fact, at many theatres, no screenings at all are scheduled during large portions of the day.
While operators of motion picture theatres and theatre complexes have increasingly been providing other diversions for their audiences in a common area separate from the screening rooms, such as on site restaurants, the present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to utilize the screening rooms themselves and similar entertainment facilities more efficiently, and particularly to use them in a manner that provides an alternate form of entertainment. The present inventors have also recognized moreover that interactive, computer controlled video games represent a form of alternate entertainment that has a significant revenue potential at a motion picture theatre or similar entertainment facility.
The seats of a motion picture theatre or similar entertainment facility could be equipped with individual user stations, each having its own games and its own video screen, such as the arrays of user stations that are found in conventional video game arcades. However, it is an object of the present inventors to provide a unique new scenario for playing video games in such facilities in which the enjoyment of the game is heightened by a large screen, and is enriched by sharing the collective reactions of a large number of other concurrent users, playing a single interactive game.
Existing popular video games include those where only a single user can play at a time, and others that allow two or several assembled users to play simultaneously. Neither of these types of games can be played concurrently by a large number of multiple users.
Recently, a third variety of video game has appeared which allows a large number of multiple users to play concurrently, but from remote user stations that are linked by means of a local area network or the Internet. The users are not all assembled together so there is no opportunity to share the experience of each other's reactions.
Other video game systems and facilities have also been proposed that permit play by multiple users.
Crudgington, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,069), for example, discloses a futuristic styled theatre which contains a plurality of game consoles, one for each player. All players participate in the same performance which is controlled by a master computer but each player has his own monitor to view the game.
Tashiro et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,438) discloses a system where a number of players are arranged in a circle at individual consoles. The players can simultaneously play a game using a common screen (110) which surrounds the players. The apparatus contains a wide variety of mechanical systems to move the seats used by the players. As best shown in FIG. 4, and described at column 4, line 8, each player has a limited range of the screen over which he may play.
Marshall et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,464) discloses a system for law enforcement or military weapons training. Multiple trainees (who are on foot and mobile) interact with a simulated training exercise displayed on a single large video screen. The trainees utilize firearms to shoot an infrared beam at opponents on the screen. The infrared beams are detected by the computer system running the simulation and the system will fire back an infrared beam in the direction of the originating shot. Trainees wear detectors that indicate if they have been hit.
Kagan et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,045) discloses a system of multiple hand held playing devices that communicate over a wireless LAN to allow multiple players to play the same game. The individual playing devices may also communicate to a large display to show the game scenario.
Dahl (U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,715) discloses a theatre based system for allowing users to make choices as to what content they wish to see on the main screen, sub-screens of the main theatre screen, or a screen in their individual seat computer. The theatre also incorporates a series of robots in front of the screen to simulate an imaginary creature to add to the video presentation.
None of the proposals known to the inventors discloses or suggests a gaming system for use in a motion picture theatre or similar entertainment facility in which a large number of simultaneous multiple users can share the same game experience together, heightened and enriched by also sharing in the reactions of the total group.